The Times They Are A Changing, Again
by Reefgirl
Summary: Old Prejudices are raising their ugly heads in the US Marine Corps. John Dogget and Monica Reyes investigate. Ch 4 is up
1. Chapter 1

Rating: T

Summary: Old Prejustices raise their ugly heads in the Marine Corps

Author's Notes: Accept my apologies now if I offend any one, remember this is fiction and I am British. This is very loosely based on A Few Good Men.

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**Arlington Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia 12th February 2003**

A military funeral is taking place, the mourners are predominantly black, a Baptist preacher is conducting the service, at the back of the group stands the FBI's Deputy Director Alvin Kersh.

At the end of the service as the mourners are paying their respects he moves towards the woman surrounded by her family,

"I am so, so sorry Martha, he was such a good son to you," he says

"Thank you Alvin, you don't believe them do you, tell me you don't believe that my Marty killed himself" she pleads

"Of course not, I don't think he would ever do anything like that" Kersh replies

"He was murdered I'm telling you and the Marine Corps are covering it up, why won't anyone believe me", she starts to cry again, Kersh puts his arm around her

"I'll do what I can Martha but the FBI have little jurisdiction over the military they like to keep things in house" he says

"Well the murderer will get what's coming to him soon enough" Martha says

"What do you mean by that" Kersh is sure he is not going to like the answer

"An eye for an eye, Alvin that's what the Bible says, when a murderer is confronted by his crime, justice will be done, my Great Granny told me how it happens" she replies

"Now Martha don't do anything stupid like taking the law into your own hands," warns Kersh

"Too late Alvin, it has begun"

**The Home of Joshua Kendrick Memphis, Tennessee 12th February 2003**

Joshua Kendrick is in his home, a bottle of whiskey by his side, he is talking on his mobile phone to a friend

"...anyway Colonel O'Kill said that it was a job well done and he was going to see that we get...well you know...rewarded...and we also owe him a few favours now, after he swung the Courts Martial in our favour. We owe him big time...ok I gotta go now...yep I'll see you in a few days...yep we'll celebrate then...see ya buddy".

He gets up and wanders into the bathroom, as he looks in the mirror he sees a black man in Marine Dress Uniform standing behind him, he turns around to find no one there. He turns back to the mirror to find his face has turned into that of the black Marine the mirror starts to steam up and the word MURDERER forms. Joshua steps back and tries to scream but as he tries, his throat closes up, his eyes bulge, his tongue lolls out of his mouth, and he drops to the floor, dead.


	2. Chapter 2

Special Agent Monica Reyes is driving her car back to DC from Quantico, she has been delivering a series of lectures on Satanic and Ritualistic Crimes, she is tired and a little depressed, these lectures always take it out of her so much sadness. She drives past the J Edger Hoover Building and on impulse she pulls into the parking garage, she makes her way to the front desk and flashes her badge to the security guard, he nods.

"Excuse me where would I find Agent Doggett," she asks a fellow Agent

"In the basement you can't miss it, it's the only office down there" the Agent replies, puzzled Monica heads for the lift

The X Files Office 15th February 2003 5.45pm.

Special Agent John Doggett is sitting by himself contemplating what has happened in the last few months or so, he has looked into the eyes of Satan, helped save the world from alien colonization and seen the lives of his partners fall to pieces and he thought he had had it bad. He looks at Mulder's desk he had promised Scully ages ago that he would clear it out for her and he still could not bring himself to do it. Poor Dana she'd told him last year when they first met that the X Files had cost them so much, he hadn't believed her but, for the want of something to do he'd read the files in the cabinet, now he had a better understanding of what she'd meant. They'd cost Scully her health and her chances of motherhood and cost Mulder his family and almost his sanity, he looked at the 'I want to believe' poster behind Mulder's desk and wished he had the faith they did, he was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the knock on the door.

"Knock knock anyone home," says a familiar voice

"Monica" he gets up and hugs her, she is a little surprised at this gesture and more than a little pleased "what are you doing here, I thought New Orleans was your home now".

"I'm giving a lecture at Quantico, I thought I'd come and say hi" she replies

"It's really great to see you after so long" he has the first genuine smile on his face in days.

"Do you really mean that? You usually break out in hives when you see me," she says with laughter in her voice, she looks around the office "so who did you hack off to get sent down here".

"Everybody I think Kersh, Satan, the Catholic Church, you name them and I've upset them" he replies

"Satan! I'd heard rumours in New Orleans that you'd caught the Devil Worshippers from Brooklyn, what happened" she remarks.

"Yeah we caught them, but I don't think we stopped them" Reyes' eyes widen "c'mon Monica this is your thing you must have seen the signs"

"I know what's been going on and it had crossed my mind but are you really sure" she asks, he nods.

"We've had several tips that the devil is here, but the only person who knows who he is ain't saying" says Doggett "we're still looking for O'Bannion but he's disappeared or changed his appearance and you were right all along he was the one who killed Luke, but not the reasons you thought at first".

"What! why?" interrupts Reyes

"Revenge, O'Bannion killed my son for revenge" he finishes

"Why for Gods sake" she asks

"Because I ruined his world domination plans," Doggett replies

"And he leant on the Director and Deputy Director to make sure your life was ruined again" she finishes.

"Something like that, I'm beginning to wish the aliens had colonized," he adds

"Excuse me, are you telling me that you John Doggett, the worlds biggest sceptic helped stop the aliens taking over the world," she's laughing now.

"Yes, we stopped them but it wasn't a happy ending, Mulder was shot by some guy called Alex Krycek, a former FBI agent apparently, he's still alive but he's ...you know...a vegetable his partner. Scully she took it bad, she's still out on leave at the moment, I don't know if she'll come back she's...kinda lost without him, they've been together for nine years" his voice trails off, not knowing what else to say, suddenly the phone rings.

"John Doggett...yes sir...erm yes I'll be there in a couple of minutes" he puts the phone down

"Sorry Monica I'll have to leave you for a bit, Deputy Director Kersh wants to see me, hopefully I won't be too long, I'm not exactly flavour of the month with him at the moment" he says.

"Sure go ahead" she replies "umm...John do you mind if I have a look at some of these files. I've heard all about Fox Mulder and his X Files, this is some kind of dream come true for me to be here" the expectant look on her face reminds him of a child in a sweet shop, he can't deny her request.

"Sure, I don't mind" he can't help but smile at her enthusiasm

He makes his way to Kersh's office wondering what he could want; he knocks on the door and goes in.

"You wanted to see me Sir," he says

"Yes John come on in, I'll come straight to the point" he hands Doggett a file "Lieutenant Joshua Kendrick was found dead at his home two days ago, asphyxiation so the autopsy report says and his family are claming it was the family of Lieutenant Commander Martin Jackson a Marine who committed suicide. Lieutenant Kendrick and two of his colleagues were cleared at a Courts Martial of any involvement in Commander Jackson's death but Jackson's family are sure he was murdered and that's where I come in. His mother Martha Jackson is a friend of mine, she asked me to look in to it and that's why I'm asking you to do me this favour" Kersh replies

"Me! You want me to do you a favour you've gotta be kidding me" Doggett retorts

"Please John, you've got every reason to distrust me, but you're the only person on who's...discretion I can trust" Kersh adds.

"Discretion? What's going on" Doggett is intrigued now "surely this is a job for the Judge Advocate General's office"

"I know but I know something they don't" Kersh takes a deep breath "I think Voodoo maybe involved".

"You think Voodoo maybe involved, you! who's been trying to close down the X Files since you got here, now you suddenly want our help" Doggett starts to laugh "I wish Mulder was here to see this, ok I'll help you, it's worth it just to hear you plead" Doggett is beginning to enjoy this now "so, the Voodoo hoodoo".

"Well Martha said that her Great Granny told her how when a murderer was confronted by his crime justice would be done, it just seems coincidental that the day she told me this the man she accused of killing her son dies, mysteriously" explains Kersh. "Plus you must still have contacts in the Marine Corps you can cut through the red tape".

"Well I don't know about that but I'll try and while we're talking favours Sir I need one" John replies

"I can't move you from the X Files" puts in Kersh

"No I don't mean that, but as Scully's still on leave and I'm on my own down there I'd like Agent Monica Reyes to assist me on this case, if Voodoo's involved, she'd be an ideal partner, this is her speciality" he asks, Kersh thinks about this.

"Ok John you've got yourself a deal, but remember I need you to be discreet" says Kersh

"You can count on it," remarks Doggett.

He heads back downstairs to his office wondering what made him agree to do Kersh a favour, something to do, a desire to keep the X Files open for Mulder's sake, a chance to get back on solid ground again with the Marines or a chance to work with Monica. He gets back to the office to find Reyes engrossed in one of Mulder's precious X Files, he suppresses a smile as he walks in.

"Having fun," he asks her, she looks up from the file

"God this file will put you off having kids for life, nope no IVF for me, no, nien, non, uh uh, no way" Doggett starts to laugh.

"Is that the one with the two little girls who poisoned their father's with Digitalis that they made themselves" Monica nods "I know that put the fear of God in me too, so how do you feel about dreams coming true"?

"Why?" she asks suspiciously

"Well Kersh wants me to do some discreet digging into a case involving the death of a Marine which may have been caused by a Voodoo curse" he replies.

"Voodoo?" she asks

"That's what he said, so do you want to join me on this X File or not" he's teasing her now, a big grin breaks out on her face

"Try and stop me," she says.


	3. Chapter 3

**Martha Jackson's house, Selma, Alabama 11.30am 17th February 2003**

Doggett and Reyes are in Martha's front room listening to her account of the death of her son

"My Marty would never take his own life we brought him up to be a good Christian boy, he knew it was a sin," she says

"Was he being subjected to racial abuse?" asks Doggett.

"Yes but it was nothing new, he's stood up to racists before now and won" she smiles sadly. "We named him after Martin Luther King, we always taught him that the colour of your skin doesn't make you any less of a man, stand up for what you believe to be right, treat everyone as an equal" her voice trails off.

"Sounds like he was a credit to you ma'am" says Doggett, Martha looks at him with new respect, she'd tarred him with the same brush as all the other white southern men she'd met before.

"That's what makes this story about him killing himself so unbelievable, he was so well liked by everyone, he had white friends as well as black, he was transferred to Fort Belvedere six months ago and that's when the abuse started. Then he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and some of the company decided that black boys should not be promoted over white ones, after that my Marty was dead. I still say he was murdered because he was promoted over some white boys, but no one wants to listen to me" Martha replies.

"We'll get to the bottom of it" promises Doggett, he can't help but feel sorry for Martha as he does with anyone who loses a son, but what make's it doubly bad for him is that the Marines, for whom he was so proud serve is turning out to be rotten to the core. Reyes is overwhelmed by the feelings of sympathy and anger coming from him, Martha notices her going a little pale.

"Are you feeling ok Agent Reyes?" she asks, Reyes nods

"Yes I'm ok honest, just tired" Doggett looks at her quizzically. She smiles weakly and shrugs.

"Uh Martha you do know that the family of Joshua Kendrick have accused your family of being involved in his death don't you" says Doggett apologetically.

"Yes I know the police came here the other day to ask me about it" she replies "and I'll tell you what I told them, I have no idea what happened to him".

"It's...just that..." he struggles with the words

"What Agent Doggett means is that, we know Deputy Director Kersh is a friend of yours and he asked us specifically to investigate this for him because he believed Voodoo was involved" puts in Reyes.

"Ah he told you about what I said at the funeral, my Great Granny practised the 'old ways' but not me, she always told me that if you believed an injustice had been done to you, the spirits would seek justice. A life for a life, but my Marty's spirit did not kill him, even as a ghost Marty would not kill anyone for revenge. Great Granny's spirits were the ones who took his life not my Marty, I don't practice Voodoo, I never have, maybe his own conscious killed him, maybe his soul couldn't live with the guilt, stranger things have happened" Martha says.

Reyes is struck by the feeling that there is another presence in the room, a gentle presence filled with sorrow for Martha's suffering, she is sure it is Martha's son, she opens her mind, she can feel a desire for justice not revenge and an overwhelming sense of love for his mother, tears well in her eyes.

"Monica are you sure you're ok" Doggett puts his hand on her shoulder, she is brought out of it sharply

"Yes, yes I'm fine honest" she replies "he wants justice, Marty, that's why he's still here, he can't find peace until justice is served" she smiles at Martha "I get these feelings...vibes...my boss calls them 'the Force'...".

"No, Monica not this again, give it a rest can't you" Doggett whispers

"I'm sorry it's...something I've always been able to do" she gives an apologetic smile, Doggett's mobile starts to ring and he looks at the number.

"Ah at last, excuse me but I've been waiting for this call" he leaves to take the call, Martha watches him go

"You hold on to that man honey, there's not many of his kind left in these parts," she says to Monica, Monica is not really listening.

"I know, he's a good man...what...oh... no it's nothing like that we have a professional relationship" she blusters, going pink in the cheeks, Martha looks at her and smiles.

"If you say so honey, now how about some tea and you can tell me about these feelings of yours" Monica smiles back at her, glad that Martha is willing to listen to her even if she doesn't necessarily believe her.

Out in Martha's front garden Doggett is finishing his conversation

"Ok Lieutenant Rabb thanks for your help I'll see you in a couple of days then, yes I'll look forward to it, goodbye" he notices the people staring at him, suspicion in the eyes of the black people, hate in the eyes of the white people, he shivers, disturbed he goes back into Martha's house.

"That was Lieutenant Harmon Rabb, the investigating JAG officer, he'll meet with us in a couple of days, let us know what he knows" he tells Reyes.

**Samuel Kendrick's Home, Memphis, Tennessee, 3.30pm 18th February 2003**

Doggett and Reyes are listening to Samuel Kendrick's account of the death of his son; it is very different to their visit to Martha Jackson.

"Ah'm telling you it was them damn Negro's who killed ma boy, they should never have let that Jackson boy into Able Company, they shouldn't have let any of them Negro's into the Marines. Ma Great Great Granddaddy fought and died in the Civil War to preserve the southern way of life and now look, them damn negro's are everywhere, the Senate, Congress. Why even the Secretary of State it's not right, in my day the Marines were for white boys, there was no negro's in ma company, there was none of them in the Marines and that's the way it should stay". They let Samuel rant on; Doggett is beginning to feel slightly sick at the old man's hatred.

"Mr. Kendrick" begins Reyes "we've checked the autopsy report on your son, the results were inconclusive, asphyxiation or he choked they're not sure, how come you are so certain that he was murdered by Lieutenant Commander Jackson's family".

"It has to be them, revenge, they wanted revenge because the Courts Martial cleared ma boy of being involved in his death, they can't accept that he committed suicide they want it to be murder" Samuel retorts.

"But Mr. Kendrick the police report showed no sign of forced entry and the autopsy showed no signs of strangulation, no finger marks, no bruises, the police think it was natural causes" says Doggett.

"They put a curse on him, Voodoo they're good at that" he replies, Doggett has had enough of this man he gets up to leave

"Ok Mr. Kendrick, we'll be in touch later" he says, Reyes gets up to follow him.

"By the way Agent Doggett, what's a southern boy like you doing taking their side" asks Samuel, Doggett is disgusted at this

"I suppose I've been living in the north too long and I don't take anyone's side" he leaves before he says something he shouldn't, Reyes runs to catch up with him.

"John wait" she calls, he stops and waits for her to catch up with him

"What the hell's going on Monica, is it like this all over the South now, all this hatred being stirred up again, I felt it back at Martha's place, I lived through it once back in the Sixties I don't want to have to go through it again" he says.

"It's been building up for a while, the Klan's numbers have been increasing, lynchings have been taking place, not just blacks but Jews, Hispanics and Asians too. It's like someone is playing on old fears and prejudices and its working, the whole of the South is going to explode just like it did in the Sixties" Reyes replies, Doggett shakes his head.

"Is this the devils work? Or have I been away from my home for too long, my dad's been saying it's like we've gone back in time" he says, Monica sighs.

"I'd have to say the devil's behind it, playing on old fears and prejudices and he's picked the right place to do it, the previous generation lived through the civil rights movement and ours have lived with the results, there's a lot of bad feeling out there" she replies, Doggett gets in the car.

"Come on, the sooner we solve this case the sooner we can go home," he says.


	4. Chapter 4

**Marriott Motel, Selma, Alabama, 22.00pm**

Agent Reyes is dozing, a knock at her door brings her out of it

"Monica, Monica are you awake, open up we've got trouble", it's Agent Doggett, she opens the door, he's got a worried look on his face

"What's up John, what's the problem?" she asks

"The Klan has planted a burning cross on Martha Jackson's front lawn" he replies.

**Martha Jackson's house 22.30pm**

Police, the Fire Department and neighbours are gathered on Martha's front lawn, Doggett and Reyes show their badges to the police officer and make their way to Martha's front door, one of her neighbours is comforting her.

"Are you alright Martha?" asks Reyes

"Oh yes I'm fine" she replies, "it's not the first time this has happened and I'm sure it won't be the last, they won't get rid of me this way".

"I'm so sorry if we caused this, you know your talking to us," says Doggett, Martha sighs

"It's like living in the past, it's like we've come full circle, the cross burnings and the lynchings, I never thought it would happen again" she replies.

"I know what you mean, I've been living in New York and Washington for so long I had no idea things had got so bad down here, you're right it's like we're going backwards". He gets up to talk to Reyes "I want you to stay with Martha, it's no good trying to get her to leave she won't" Reyes agrees with him

"I'll tell Martha that I'm staying" she goes to tell her the plan, a police officer comes over to talk to Doggett.

"Agent Doggett it seems that we've got the perpetrators, a couple of rednecks bragging in a local bar, do you want to interview them now" Doggett shakes his head

"No, let them sober up we'll do it in the morning".

**Selma Police Department 19th February 2003 09.30am**

Agent Reyes walks up to admin desk

"I'd like to talk to the two men you brought in last night for the cross burning at Martha Jackson's home" she asks the young officer on the desk

"Sorry ma'am but the MP's came for them last night" he replies

"MP's you mean they were Military personnel" she states.

"Yes ma'am, Lieutenant's David Smillie and Ralph Bannister they were removed on the orders of Colonel Tony O' Kill" he notices the look of disbelief on her face "is that a problem"

"It probably will be" she sighs, resigned to the fact she is going to have to break the news to Doggett.

**Fort Belvedere 10.00am**

Doggett reaches the main gates and hands the necessary paperwork over to the guards, as he waits for them his phone rings

"John Doggett" he says.

"Hi it's me" says Reyes "you're not going to believe this but the two men the police picked up for the cross burning last night are Military men and they've been removed from the station on the orders of a Colonel O' Kill..."

"What, how the hell did this happen" shouts Doggett "Well there's nothing I can do at the moment but I'll see if anyone here can shed light on these jokers, how's Martha".

"She's ok, her neighbours are taking it in turns to keep an eye on her" Reyes replies "I'm going to ask her about her Great Granny and the vengeance spirits, for research purposes if she asks" Doggett smiles

"I'd forgotten how sneaky you could be"

"Thanks I think" she replies, laughing, the guard returns to Doggett's car.

"I'll call you later when I've seen Lieutenant Rabb" he says and hangs up

"Ok these are all in order" says the guard "you need to go down here as far as the chapel and then turn right, the JAG office is in the third building on the left" says the guard

"Thanks" he replies.


End file.
